Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-10

the plans home and see wn"g Wv
bridge should cost. l soon saw wa
coming 90 far away from every booy els
in the figures that l got friend Z
f;oure. The result was that wewere on! !l
AS anari, The figures were $l3, 2SO
+ I TOOK the plans and specifications. ant
thew arc deficient. They do not specify
the beft and other particulars. Inc!
were @ insufficient. They could hav'
been taken advantage OF by mr.. NC
Mullin. They were deficlent In no
stating the size or weight OF the iron. ;!
then called in another man, and MI
fioures varied but 5000 from niue.
liza the matter before the Council ant
ssked them not to take the bridge con
tract The plans and specification
,vore such az would mislead the Council
SEVERAL times l stated that the bridge
could be built for certain sum. l Cal
how it myself, and Others, and the Ci'J
NV. or said it could be built fol
sl2 500. 1 asked Mr.. Eaton to mak'
nrovision for sidewalk on the bridge
Can't saw if that provision was IN the
original specification, which is the only
one on record. :,
The minutes relating to the report OF
the Bridge Committee were read by the
clerk and offered in evidence.
No other bridge specifications were re
ferred to in the minutes.
Mr. Teea: Tho records show thai
tho nIons and specifications were
adopted. -,
E ton say anythiDg except in Counoil
Tn Council he said thot the figures were
for a twentv.foot roadway bridge that
referred to. and not for the th,rty-foo'
rooGyav at all. This statement was
made in open Council, in absolute con-
tradiciion to my statement. He SAID II
was altogether different and heavier
bridge we had now. don't remember
that he mentioned dollars and cents. he
sail it was altogether better bridge,
and gave the C uncil to understand tina,
I was making wrong statements. ana !, II
was calculated to deceive the Council
Mr.. Hvaus was the one who told me tina,
Eaton's sayings in Council had influenced
him. The Council voted almost imme-
d;otelv ofterward. There were ten
votes against my one. His statemen,
contradicted mine, and the Counc'
wonld naturally follow what the City
Surveyor said. have had handed te
me an estimate by Mr.. Eaton. 1t was
given to the Mayor.
Mavor Workman: l went to Mr..
Eaton and asked him to see whether
there was any job about the bridge.
Mr. Stearns read the statement signed
by Mr.. Eaton, and particularlzed the
items which were wrong. The correct
amount is "a, 1852 pounds and he put
los. SOB pounds as the weight. 1he cost
he figured was 6fc. per pound. but 1t
can be now bought for BIC. and worked
for 1ac. The amount OF lumber Mr.
Eaton figured was 1872 05l feet, but the
correct amount is l30,053 feet. He
eives the price at S45 per thousand,
when S35 is what it could be bought for.
He figures concrete at 40c. foot. when
3Oc a foot is good price. The total is
sl5Sl6 81 from Eaton's figures. and the
correct cost by other figuring is SILL.
$50 AZ. state that the errors were all
in his favor.
Mr.. Breed: You stated that at the
time the contract was let the price OF
concrete was 3Oc? A. Yes. sir.
Mayor Workmad: How do you know
the price OF iron?
MIR. Stearns: l got the prices from two
iron men in this city. That price IS un-
der the new rates. l will furnish iron
at less than five cents per pound myseii.
CITY Attorney: have several estl'
mates on the iron and lumber in my
hard and will place them on file.
Mr.. Rnss' letter was taken out foi
future reference.
Cross.examined. Mr.Stearns said. l am
not in the lumber trade. l don't sell
lumber on commission.
Mr.. Eaton: | would like to have you
state that ran my legs off to get the
Bridge Company the job. l want you
to swear to it. -.
Mr.. Stearns: I saw the petition. 1t
came in here, did say you circulated
a petition to get the Bridge Company
the contract, at least that was my INFER
ence of the matter.
MIR, MEYERS for Mr.. Eaton: You made
estimate on plans presented. DID you
not ask me if provisions were mace tor
a sidewalk in The bridge? A. l might
have skcd you if you had made pro-
visions for sidewalks.
Mayor Workman wanted to know
what Mr.. Stearns knew about colluslon.
Mr.. s. earns: That is q matter to be
drawn from the testimony.
The City Attorney wanted TO know
whether the examination would go ahead
as to collusion or as to Mr.. McMullln.
He was directed to take his own course
and determin ed to finish the charges
against Mr.. Eaton.
Mayor Workman being placed on the
stand. said: My attention was drawn to
some matters which were said to be
irregular. Invent to the City Surveyor
and asked him for figures. told him
that renorts were around about jobbery,
and wanted figures. He furnished the
figures. Other evidence came in. A
number of citizens came to me
and said there was pool in the matter,
and that was the reason I did not act
mon the contract. 1 would have signed
the contract if this had not been brought
before me.
Cross. examined by Mr.. Eaton-Did
not refuse to sign the contract because L
thought you were interested. l know
you made the bridge company comply
with the specifications in bridge l had
built across the river on First street.
By City Attorney-The statement
made by Messrs. Knox and Culver and
other engineers had some influence? .
Mayor Workman stated that he asked
the investigation because other figures
had been handed him. The letter from
M Messrs. Geo. C. Knox and Jno. T. Cul-
yer stated that the bridge ought not to
cost over $l3,272. Another from Mr.:
J. A. Russ stated that $4,000 should
have been ample to build the bridge un'
der the plans and specifications. If these
objections and statements had not been
made he would have signed the contract.
Mr.. Knox declined to testify before
the committee.
The letter from Mr.. Knox was there
fore excluded from the records and was
not received as evidence at this time.
The City Attorney then announced
that they would 60 into the charges